Transgenic animal having fatty acid desaturase and method of producing the same

Abstract

To provide meat that is beneficial to human health, for the purpose to produce transgenic animals in which the content of unsaturated fatty acids increase is increased, transgenic animals characterized by increased content of unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial to human health is provided by the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a method to enhance levels of unsaturated fatty acid in animals.

1 . A transgenic animal in which a gene for a fatty acid desaturase is introduced into the animal to transform the animal to allow the gene for a fatty acid desaturase to be expressed in the animal, thereby the content of unsaturated fatty acid is increased in the animal.  
     
     
         2 . The transgenic animal according to  claim 1  wherein the gene for a fatty acid desaturase is (a) genes for a Δ12 fatty acid desaturase and/or a gene for a Δ15 fatty acid desaturase.  
     
     
         3 . The transgenic animal according to  claim 2  wherein the gene for a fatty acid desaturase is a gene for Δ12 fatty acid desaturase derived from the root of spinach.  
     
     
         4 . The transgenic animal according to  claim 1  wherein the gene for a fatty acid desaturase is a gene for a Δ12 fatty acid desaturase derived from roots of spinach, and expression of the gene is promoted by a chicken β-actin promoter or by an adipocyte P2 (aP2) promoter.  
     
     
         5 . The transgenic animal according to  claim 1  wherein the unsaturated fatty acid is linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  
     
     
         6 . The transgenic animal according to  claim 1  wherein the animal is for a source of meat.  
     
     
         7 . The transgenic animal according to  claim 6  wherein the animal is a mammal.  
     
     
         8 . The transgenic animal according to  claim 7  wherein the mammal is a pig, cattle, goat or sheep.  
     
     
         9 . A transgenic animal cell in which a gene for a fatty acid desaturase is introduced into the animal cell to transform the animal cell to allow the gene for a fatty acid desaturase to be expressed in the animal cell, thereby the content of unsaturated fatty acid is increased in the animal cell.  
     
     
         10 . A method for increasing the content of unsaturated fatty acids in an animal, the method comprising the steps of introducing a gene for fatty acid desaturase in an animal, and transforming the animal to allow the gene for fatty acid desaturase to be expressed in the animal.  
     
     
         11 . A method for increasing the content of unsaturated fatty acids in an animal, the method comprising the steps of constructing a vector containing a gene for a fatty acid desaturase with a transcriptional control region that enables expression of the gene for fatty acid desaturase, transforming animals by introduction of the vector into early embryos, somatic cells or embryonic stem cells (ES cells) of the animals, and allowing the gene for a fatty acid desaturase to be expressed in the animals that were developed from the transformed early embryos, somatic cells or embryonic stem cells.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the gene for a fatty acid desaturase is a gene for a Δ12 fatty acid desaturase and/or a gene for a Δ15 fatty acid desaturase.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein the gene for a fatty acid desaturase is a gene for a Δ12 fatty acid desaturase derived from roots of spinach.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the gene for a fatty acid desaturase is a gene for Δ12 fatty acid desaturase derived from the root of spinach, and the transcriptional control region is a chicken β-actin promoter or an adipocyte P2 (aP2) promoter.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the unsaturated fatty acid is linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).